Bring Me to Life
by JediMasterQuill
Summary: Hollyleaf: stranded alone in the tunnels without her memory. Sol: exiled with his plans and no one to share them with. So when Sol decides to take advantage of her, it's only a matter of time before Hollyleaf finds out the truth. Holly/Sol–songfic.
1. Chapter One::

**A/N;;The lyrics that are featured at the beginning of each character are 'Bring Me to Life' and are by Evanescence. I do not claim any ownership/affiliation over this group, nor over Warriors. However, the plot of this fanfic is solely mine. ^_^**

* * *

_How can you see into my eyes like open doors?_

_Leading you down into my core_

_Where I've become so numb without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold _

_Until you find it there and lead it back home_

Drip

Drip.

Drip.

Hollyleaf wakes. She is on the hard, and wet floor of the tunnel. All around her is darkness, and it would have been silent had there not been this insistent dripping noise. How she got there, she cannot remember. Why she is here, she does not know. All she does know, is that she was running from something, something terrible, and that something is dripping onto her head. She glances up, and a water droplet falls from the ceiling and lands on her black nose, causing her to sneeze.

_Where am I? _she thinks, and finds that she has no answer. _Who am I? My name is Hollyleaf, but...there was something more..._

She shudders, pushing the feeling of overwhelming panic away from her, towards the back of her thoughts. Why can't she remember? What is wrong with her? She aches all over, and it feels like something is gnawing on her hind legs, causing immense pain to flash up them and to her spine...

The black shecat looks behind her, to her legs, and gasps in horror. She cannot see them. They are covered by a huge mound of earth and dirt and rock. This explains the pain, and the creeping sensation of numbness that is spreading across her.

Her breath comes in short gasps, and she struggles to pull herself out, to free herself, to get out of this prison, this cave. She knows that she has to get her legs free quickly, or else she might end up loosing them permanently. Attempting to quell her panic, she curls around and scratches at the dirt with her claws. Her emerald eyes can hardly see in the dim lighting, but she can feel the moist dirt tumbling off of the mound past her body and to the floor. The water drips onto her head again, running down her ear, making her shake her head to get rid of it. It feels like forever, but soon, she has loosened the dirt enough to get her legs out. She tries to kick them, but they do not move. She tries to move them, just a tiny bit, but they refuse to work properly. Instead, she receives a huge amount of pain that runs up her spine and up to her skull, nearly knocking her out again.

_Were they always like this?_

Seeing that pushing herself out isn't going to work, she turns around and pulls herself out with her front paws. With every movement, sparks of pain flash in front of her eyes. Finally, she is out, and she crawls a few paces away from the mound.

_They're broken_. _I'll have to make some sort of a splint, and I'll need a dressing of marigold petals, I think..._ she realizes, and then wonders how she knows. _Whatever...I just need to get out of here, though. I'm starving, and I doubt there's any prey in these tunnels..._

She attempts to stand up again, but to no avail. Her legs are truly and completely broken. Or maybe just fractured; she's not too sure on this. Either way though, it's not good, and is going to hinder her greatly. So now she'll just have to drag herself from place to place, until she can get the proper materials to make a splint.

And that is what she does. It takes a while to get used to having to use only two legs instead of four, and it takes even longer to even get out of the particular cave that she's currently in. She takes a rest here and there, in order to keep the pain from killing her, but she goes on. Along the way, she keeps seeing flashes of memory. If she presses too hard they disappear, but if she lets them flow through her consciousness, she is able to see them, if only briefly.

A flash of grey fur and pale blue eyes flit across her vision. They are blind eyes, she knows, and yet, does not know. The eyes are accompanied by a set of bright amber ones that are framed by gold tabby fur and are soft and kind compared to what comes to her mind next. A flash of claws, a hint of fangs, and hard, cruel deep blue eyes that she once could die looking into and yet hate with the most terrible of vehemence.

She breaks out of her thoughts at the sound of something rushing, something roaring, just at the bend ahead.

Hollyleaf pulls herself up to the edge of a rock, and sees where the sound is coming from.

Below her is a rushing waterfall. The waters plunge down at least six, seven feet and they race away in a torrent of fast moving water. The sight frightens her, and yet thrills her at the same time. What would it be like, to rush along with it? She does not want to find out, but in a twisted way, she does. Either way, the subterranean water leads to the surface in some way or another, as she can see rays—they are faint, sure, but all the same, it is light. She decides that it's going to take way too long for her to continue on just two legs. Perhaps she should test her hind legs, to see if she was wrong, and that they're just badly bruised, and not broken. She staggers up, and is not surprised when she falls back down again. But… her right leg didn't hurt as badly. Her heart leaps. She attempts to flex her leg, and grins. It hurts, but she can move it. Letting her left leg go limp, she stands on three paws and hobbles back down the rock overhang.

For a few paces, she walks alongside the water, captivated by its color and sound and power. But it's mostly the power of it that excites her. What would it be like to just charge through any sort of obstacle without fearing, without even thinking? Has this power always been so…alluring to her, as it is now? She doesn't know. But she does realize that power has to be matched with intellect to prevent it from getting out of hand. And for once she knows; intellect is something that she has never been short on.

Suddenly, she loses her footing and slips.

She falls, her mouth gaped open in a scream that no one will ever hear. She falls, her paws frantically scrabbling in the air, her tail lashing from side to side. She falls into the roaring waters, unseen and unheard.

But really, she is seen and definitely has been heard

In fact, she is not the only one in the tunnels.

Sol is there, carrying a bough of pine in his jaws. Why pine? It has a very sharp scent, and the needles fall off very easily. It's perfect for leaving a trail. He had been very pleased to discover an old fox tunnel—or what he _thought _was an old fox tunnel—just outside of the abandoned twoleg place, his temporary home. These had to be the tunnels that he had heard of during his time in ShadowClan, these had to be the ones that caused so much trouble. So of course, he just had to explore them. But he had to take certain precautions, thus explaining the pine needles. He is deep in thought when he hears a scream. It echoes through his mind, and strikes a chord in his soul.

He runs towards the sound, still carrying the pine.

What could she be doing down here? And what had happened? He had never heard a more terrible sound in his entire life!

He is at the waterfall, almost having fallen in himself. He looks down, and gasps.

The water is suffocating, this is worse than anything, anything in the world. She manages to kick her way to the surface, only for a moment, and gets a mouthful of air...

He sees her head push its way above the surface. He waits a second, hoping…but it doesn't return. The tortoiseshell and white tom sighs heavily, dreading going into the water. But he does, thankful that after the floods, Leafstar had everyone learn how to swim. It wasn't easy, though, and that was about the time Sharpclaw started to follow his sister around. Luna didn't like it, and neither did Sol. To put a long story short, it had been a messy affair to deal with. He hoped that things would work out a little smoother than that time.

His body is moving gracefully in the water, his entire self emitted confidence. But will swimming like a RiverClanner be enough to save her? He can see her just a fox length away. She spins around, pulled by the current, and for a single second, her emerald eyes meet his gold ones. Then, she falls back into the water, her slim form lost in the current and foam.

Knowing that it is the last possible moment to save her, he plunges forwards and (dropping the branch, which has miraculously stayed in his mouth the entire time) sinks his sharp teeth into the scruff of her neck. It will hurt, he knows, but he has other things to worry about than leaving her with some bite marks.

Even though she is essentially deadweight in his jaws, he manages to use the current to his advantage and rides it to the shore.

He collapses on the rock in a messy heap, his ordinarily immaculately groomed fur spiked and soaking wet. Hollyleaf lays besides him, looking pretty much the same. He glances over at her, and is relieved to see that she is breathing. Certainly, her breaths are ragged and a tad irregular, but she's alive, that's a good thing. He feels a glow of satisfaction, the sort that he experiences when he has managed to 'influence' a particularly difficult cat. It's odd to feel this now, but he accepts the new feeling. And he cannot help but relish it. Sol settles down on the ground, and begins to groom himself. He briefly considers doing the same to Hollyleaf—the poor thing will catch a cold if her fur is left soaking. But still, he doubted that she would be pleased if she woke up. No doubt she would get quite angry. Perhaps it would be best to leave her to her sleep.

_She looks quite peaceful in her sleep. Almost…_cute_. Well, almost. _He muses to himself as he washes his tufted ears.

She may _look_ peaceful, but do not forget, she is dreaming.

They are not the good sort of dreams, but more of the nightmarish type, the one that will wake her out of breath and shaking. The water is cold, and it is suffocating her. It swirls around her, the colors are bright and confusing, flashing on and off. She can smell something …blood…but not just any blood. It has something to do with the handsome grey tom with piercing blue eyes. He walks up to her, seemingly unaware of the waters that bind Hollyleaf in place. Her heart cries out to stop, to stop this torture, but she says nothing. He sneers, and his eyes grow larger and larger and it feels as if she is within them. She sees flames, rising against a stormy sky. There are three cats huddled behind them, their only path to flee is blocked by the same grey cat. A smaller ginger shecat crouches in front of him, pleading and begging. The tom laughs maniacally, and the flames grow larger, and they pounce on the three. Their shrieks and cries wake Hollyleaf.

Sol jumps as Hollyleaf staggers to her paws, screaming. She looks around her, panting, her green eyes wild with panic. He notes that one of her legs is held carefully, and that its opposite is twisted awkwardly. He feels as if he should do something.

_But what?_ he thinks. He has no experience whatsoever with cats coming out of nightmares. And so, he sits and waits for her to calm down.

It takes a moment for Hollyleaf to get her bearings. The last thing that she saw after passing out was a set of brilliant gold eyes…and the same pair of eyes are staring at her, wondering if she's alright.

_Where am I? I thought that I was drowning...and who is this?_

Sol stares into her eyes, waiting for her to show some sign of recognition. But she just stares at him, bewildered. Finally, she asks, "Who are you?"

Sol blinks. Something is wrong, terribly wrong. He _looks_ into her eyes, searching her memories, but he finds none. Well, almost none. There are a few fragments, but nothing that her consciousness will pick up. They may appear in her dreams, but that will be it. Just so as long as nothing triggers them to come back, that is...

A wicked look spreads across the cat's face, and it scares Hollyleaf. The expression only lasts for a second, but it still unnerves her. She presses back, her eyes wide.

"Why do you ask? You of all cats should know my name," Sol says, standing up with a flourish of his tail.

"Why should I know your name?"

"Don't you remember?" purrs Sol, padding towards Hollyleaf and sitting beside her.

"No," says Hollyleaf, feeling a little uncomfortable as his fluffy tail curls around hers. "I really cannot remember anything."

"But surely you can remember me, just a little bit?" he says, and feels a wave of cunning wash over him as he _sees_ something flicker in her eyes. She can remember his eyes…gold and luminous like the sun, only brighter than the star…filled with power…

"I can remember…a little…"

"Can you remember my name?"

"Sort of…"

"Does _Sol_ ring a bell?"

Hollyleaf does not know what a 'bell' is, but the name 'Sol' does click…why yes, the handsome cat in front of her looks quite familiar. She feels she can trust him. And he knows it. He intends on taking advantage of her blind trust.

"Wonderful…" he purrs, pouring as much_ charisma_ as he possibly can into his voice. Sol can see the change in her eyes, the way her pupils dilate and how the flecks of gold shine like diamonds. She is perhaps the only one he has encountered who reacts to his _charm_ like this. And she is the only one who he would risk ruining his fabulous plans in order to make her happy. Even though he hardly can recognize this weakness, he is subconsciously wary, and seeks to master it.

"Let's get ourselves out of these horrible tunnels, shall we?"

Hollyleaf nods, and tries to stand, but she staggers a few steps and falls back to the hard rock. Her legs are already mangled (though not beyond repair) and the trip down the waterfall has weakened her greatly.

"Lean on me."

Hollyleaf looks up at Sol. He is no longer sitting, but is standing, his tufted ears flicked forwards.

"Go on. You can't walk alone in your condition." He adds as she hesitates. "I don't bite. Most of the time."

Gritting her teeth, she obliges, and they walk out of the tunnels together, following the scent of pine. She hates to feel dependant on someone, but the tortoiseshell has a point. There is no way she could walk, or even find her way out of these tunnels.

Uncharacteristically, Sol feels an urge to engage the young shecat in aimless conversation. Why, he doesn't know. But he does know that perhaps he had better keep his trap shut, seeing that Hollyleaf probably won't care to hear him. She looks quite tired, and even as they reach the end of the tunnel she doesn't look up. He decides to just walk and plot. He already had a good—no, excellent—set of plans, but now that he has Hollyleaf…well, that changes everything, now doesn't it?


	2. Chapter Two::

_(Wake me up)_

_Wake me up inside_

_(I can't wake up)_

_Wake me up inside_

_(Save me)_

_Call my name and save me from the dark_

_(Wake me up)_

_Bid my blood to run_

_(I can't wake up)_

_Before I come undone_

_(Save me)_

_Save me from the nothing I've become_

"And we were running away from the wildcats, and even though we both were as fleet as anything, they caught up to us."

"Then what happened?"

"They forced us to tell them what we were doing in their territory, and when we refused, they started to break your legs, and so I had to tell them... I couldn't stand watching them hurting you like that…."

Sol's voice trails off dramatically, and he watches Hollyleaf's eyes brighten with curiosity. This was working wonderfully. When Sol brought Hollyleaf to the abandoned twoleg nest, she had fallen into a horrible depression that lasted for almost half a moon. She rarely moved from the corner that she had curled up in, and barely ate. Sol became increasingly worried, especially when her fractured leg was taking so long to heal. He soon realized that she felt incredibly empty, as she was lacking the knowledge of her past. So, Sol decided to make up a new story for her, one that would help bend her to his will, one that would set aside all good memories of the Clans.

Hollyleaf lays her tail-tip on Sol's shoulder as he closes his eyes and shudders, seeming to relive terrible memories.

"It's okay," she mews. "You can tell me the rest later."

"Alright…" replies Sol, trying to hide a sob. "I'm…I'm going to go and hunt…"

And he swiftly stands up and pads out of the den, silently praising his excellent acting skills.

Hollyleaf, left alone in the dark ad slightly mildew-y twoleg nest, sighs and settles back down on the wonderful bed of bird feathers and bracken that Sol prepared for her. She reflects upon what he has told her over the past suns; she cannot believe the hardships that they both have gone through.

She used to live with her parents and two siblings by the ocean, and she was very happy. Sol didn't really know what her kit-hood had been like, only that Hollyleaf had spoken fondly of it. But Sol could remember when he had passed through the area, and introduced himself to the five cats. He had essentially become part of their family, hunting and living with them.

"It was one of the most happiest times in my life…" Sol had said wistfully one rainy afternoon. "But it was too bad that it couldn't last for long."

Indeed, it hadn't. Soon, twolegs started to move to the beach. They wanted the beautiful place for themselves, and had set traps for the family of cats who had lived there. After the death of one of Hollyleaf's sisters, the remaining cats decided to leave.

They traveled through the mountains and to a lake, where they thought they could live happily. But alas, they couldn't. A band of uncivilized cats swept through their makeshift camp one night, killing all but Sol and Hollyleaf.

So the two cats had set out, trying to avenge the death of their loved ones. But the expedition had ended badly, and Sol stopped just as the wildcats caught up to them…ah, how she wishes he had been able to continue! It is hanging in her mind, the possibilities of what could happen next…did the wildcats take them to their camp and try to kill them? Or did Sol manage to talk themselves out with his silver tongue? Or did Hollyleaf escape somehow? Well, of course she did, but _how? _

She sighs again, and flexes her claws in the soft feather-fluff. A feeling comes over her, something that she had felt while Sol related the battle that killed her family…she can remember fighting. Fighting someone. Someone with deep blue eyes…she can sort of remember what he (it was a he) looked like…but most of all, she can remember her feelings.

She had been hurt…angry…and betrayed. This someone had toyed with her emotions, had made her _feel._ But that had been before…and that battle was the now. She would take her revenge on these cats; and no, this isn't something that Sol told her-–she came to her own conclusions.

"They will pay…" she hisses to herself, and then ducks her head in embarrassment, realizing how cliched that sounded. The blue eyes flash before her again, and with them, she discovers a new feeling.

Doubt.

It mingles with the anger and turns it sour, unappealing. There is something wrong here…but she doesn't know what…

**xXx**

Sol leaps and lands, his claws snagging on the fur of a mouse. It squeaks in alarm, but Sol pays no mind. He knocks it over it's head, and lets it go, watching in amusement as it stays in one place, stunned. His long tail brushes the dead leaves as he waits…and waits…there. It's beginning to move again. With a grin on his face, he reaches out with a paw, and bats it towards him. The mouse scrambles to its paws and tries to run away again…but it meets Sol's sharp claws. It's not the end, though. The dusky colored mouse is still alive, just barely. He crouches down. He can hear its ragged breathing, can see it's frightened brown eyes. Sol lets them focus on his face, and then, he slowly opens his jaws, exposing brilliant white teeth. Sol feels it's neck snap; the sharp _snick!_ rings through the air for a moment.

"Too easy…" he mumbles around the mouthful. "You'd think that living nearby a colony of cats would make them evolve or something…"

Finishing his meal, he picks up the rabbit that he caught earlier, and begins to head back to the abandoned twoleg den. He had been a little wary about settling there are first, seeing that it was on ThunderClan territory, but because Hollyleaf's leg was fractured, it isn't a good idea to start traveling. Just yet. He needs to make sure that the story that he had given Hollyleaf had been permanently engraved in her memory. If not, the smallest detail could trigger a complete recall. That was the only thing he is truly worried about. Perhaps he should suggest a new name for her…yes that would work out wonderfully. But what name? Perhaps a name of a constellation, or a star. Maybe it would just be best to shorten it to 'Holly', so she would feel a bit more comfortable with it. Either way, the last thing that he needs is for her to recall her memory. Sol has created an entirely new set of plans that revolve around her powers (for after all, she _is _one of the "three", correct?).

"Hollyleaf," he calls out, his voice a little muffled by the rabbit. He is nearing the nest, and is surprised as he sees Hollyleaf' green eyes glow out from the darkness. She grins, and steps out into the light. "What are you doing? Your leg will take even longer to heal if you put too much weight on it. Why aren't you in your nest?"

"I just tested it, and I can stand!" she mews happily, trotting over to him. He seems a little startled as she (accidentally) brushes his flank, but she doesn't mind. She can walk! She can run! She might be able to jump as well, though she doesn't fancy trying just yet. Seeing the slightly skeptical look on his face, she added, " And it doesn't even hurt!" for good measure.

"…it doesn't hurt?" he mews.

She shakes her head happily. "Nope!"

"How long to you think that you could last if we leave today?"

"Um…maybe half a day. Maybe less. I guess it depends on what sort of terrain we're traveling on."

"I see…"

"…were you planning to leave today?"

"Not really. But since you're leg has healed…I suppose that the sooner we leave the better."

"That's true…so, where are we headed?"

"I thought that we could keep moving in the direction that we were traveling in originally." He flicks his tufted tail towards the tall pines that border one half of the lake. "I haven't traveled further than the forest."

"Alright then."

"Here, eat the rabbit before we head out. You'll need your strength."

And so they began. It is a long trek, obviously, but not necessarily a hard one. They skirt around the bulk of the pine forest ("I wouldn't want to risk another skirmish with those savages until you're better," Sol explains.) and begin to climb the hills that are to the east of the forest. But they stop several times, as Hollyleaf's leg begins to hurt. Sol hunts for a while and manages to catch something in the scrubby brush, and they stop to make camp for the night, taking shelter beneath a withered raspberry bush. He tells her the rest of the story, creating images in her mind so vivid that she would swear that it was real. He realizes that, somehow, he is enjoying himself by making her emerald eyes grow wide and her face light up with mirth with words, simple words.

A golden sun rises, shedding brilliant light on the sleeping pair of cats. Hollyleaf wakes up with a yawn, stretching, and to her surprise notices that the tortoiseshell is practically sleeping at her paws. She thought that he was sleeping on the other side of the raspberry plant…but it's not a big deal. She pokes him with a paw, and he wakes instantly. "I'll hunt and then we'll get started again."

The journey isn't hard today, although they both can feel the tightening in the air and the coming storm. The moors give way to a small marsh, similar to the one in RiverClan's territory. Not that Sol mentioned the resemblance, of course—no need to bring back her memory. Soon, freezing rain was pouring down in torrents, slicking their fur to their flanks and making them shudder with cold. They continued to troop onwards, needing to find a decent place to rest.

"Look, over there," Sol mews, jerking his chin in the direction of a shape that looms out of the gloom of the rain. "I believe that's a barn. Shall we go and see if the inhabitants are friendly?"

Hollyleaf nods, shivering violently. She doesn't care if she has to fight a thousand foxes to get to the barn, she just wants someplace to sleep and dry off. A sudden jolt of pain flashes through her leg, and she gasps, pressing herself to Sol for balance. The tom flinches, then pauses, pretending to flick a pebble out of his paw to cover his mistake.

"Is your leg hurting? Lean on me for the rest of the way; come along, it's not too far away."

She obliged, and they staggered to the barn, pushing their way through a crack in the broad wooden doors. The two cats stood there for a moment, shivering.

"W-who are you?"

Hollyleaf wheels around, seeking for the source of the voice. Through the dark gloom of the barn, she can see a set of pale amber eyes glinted out from under a shelf covered in hay. Sol narrows his eyes; the voice didn't sound too confident, but perhaps it was a ruse.

"We are merely travelers," he purrs, resisting the urge to unsheathe his claws and rake them across the rotting wooden floor in warning. "And who, may I ask, are you?"

"J-just a barn cat. Nothing n-new."

Hollyleaf leans forwards, trying to get a better look at the cat who was shivering beneath the shelf, but as soon as she did, the cat shrunk back.

"We're not going to hurt you," she mews, limping forwards.

"Don't make any promises…" hisses Sol in her ear as he slinks past her to stop in a crouch before the cat. Through the gloom, he can tell that it's a small cat, with large eyes and a smattering of dark tabby markings around his face. _Seems gullible, _muses Sol.

"I-I don't w-w-want to get into any fight-t-ts!" he stammers, pressing himself against the wood of the wall. "J-just l-l-leave me, and I won't d-do anything! M-my twolegs will c-come if I c-call!"

"Don't worry," meows Sol, adding just a tint of _charisma_ to his voice, just enough to . "Nothing will happen to you, just so as long as you let us stay here for the night."

It seems to work; his eyes look a little glazed. But he musters enough will to ask, "But, you're n-not from those c-clans of w-w-ild cats?"

Hollyleaf blinks; she remembers something…but the fragment of memory slips away before she can fully relive it. Something about…kittypets? It's an odd word, but it's associated with a set of emerald eyes rimmed with orange fur, and rumors…

She presses forward, asking the cat; "What are these wildcats? These clans? Can you tell me more, because I'm sure that I've heard about them befo–"

"Enough!" snarls Sol, the menace in his voice hiding the sudden jolt of fear that raced through his spine a moment previous. He pushes Hollyleaf out of the cat's view–she tumbles over in a heap of wet ebony fur–and turns to face the cat, who cringes at the fury in Sol's mottled face.

"_Never_," Sol hisses, layering his voice over and over again with _charisma_ until it makes even him a little dizzy. "_Never_ speak of _that_ again! Do you understand?"

The cat nods violently, as though trying to free himself from an iron trap. He opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out are unintelligible squeaks. Sol exhales, and then notices that his claws are digging into the floor. He has to practically tear them out before he can walk towards Hollyleaf, and cover her memory of the last five minutes with golden words. He sighs in relief once it's done, but he doesn't really like the vacant look that has entered her eyes. Or the way she curls up and falls sound asleep without a sound. Perhaps he overdid it this time. But as he watches the gentle rise and fall of her breathing, he realizes, that he can't lose her, not to her Clan, not to her prophesy, not to herself.

_And if keeping her means to completely sever herself with her past? Her history? _A snide voice in his head wonders.

It doesn't even take a moment; he knows the answer.

_Yes. _


End file.
